Charlie Kirk is coming to campus
Matthew Royer & Tomo Chien
February 26, 2025
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and we’re hyped for the Carol Folt retirement rager. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Charlie Kirk, the bombastic conservative provocateur and prolific peddler of bullshit, is coming to USC on Monday. It’ll be the third stop in the MAGA star’s “American Comeback Tour,” where he’ll debate progressive students at colleges across the country in his signature own-the-libs-style confrontations.
2.
Mikaela Bautista and Emma Fallon were elected student government president and vice president last night. The pair campaigned on bringing ChatGPT Plus accounts to all students and expanding discount programs for Zipcar, Uber, and Lyft. Just 1 in 6 undergraduates voted in the election, a 15% decrease in turnout from last year.
3.
Mason Yonover, the F-bomb wielding senate candidate, would have been elected if not for his disqualification this weekend. Thirteen candidates ran for 12 seats this year, and Yonover finished 12th. His disqualification means that all other candidates were elected by default.
4.
Around 20,000 University of California staffers go on strike today over stalled contract talks, a move that could delay non-urgent appointments and procedures at medical facilities. Emergency services will remain unaffected.
5.
LA County plowed $17 million into expanding parks and open spaces. South LA is among the dozen communities awarded grants from the pool of money, and a neighborhood nonprofit plans to use the funds to build a 0.13-acre “urban farm.” It’s unclear where it’ll be located.